Just a quick pointer if anyone is interested, i bought the crown vic bushings, and replaced as instructed by the very helpful posts in this thread. However while tightening the bolts ive discovered that they are actually a little thinner and i ended up replacing every single one with my old bolts....

I am awaiting the arrival of my body mount bushings and just have a couple of questions. The sleeves have to be cut to 1 1/4", is that the sleeve height or total height of the piece? Also I would like to replace all of the bolts, what size has been used. I also noticed in the Ford service manual the torque spec on the bolts is 20-30 ft/lbs, will that be enough to draw the bushing down to the proper height? I was thinking to start there, let the body settle and if need be torque more. And one last thing, my body is currently at the painters and the frame will not be ready before he is done, has anyone built a body trolley for storage purposes? I am going to be building one but if someone else has already I would appreciate any suggestions on designs. thanks - dave

The sleeves have to be cut to 1 1/4", is that the sleeve height or total height of the piece? Also I would like to replace all of the bolts, what size has been used. I also noticed in the Ford service manual the torque spec on the bolts is 20-30 ft/lbs, will that be enough to draw the bushing down thanks - dave

If you measure your original bushing sleeve you'll see its 1-1/4. You want the new sleeve to match the old. If you can reuse your old bolts do that. If you need longer just get the same size as original just a little longer. As far as torque, you are only "smashing" a rubber bushing. I'm sure it would take less than 30 lbs even though 30 lbs isn't much, but in any case you can use locktite and just tighten up until they are tight. They will only tighten so far.

I am awaiting the arrival of my body mount bushings and just have a couple of questions. The sleeves have to be cut to 1 1/4", is that the sleeve height or total height of the piece? Also I would like to replace all of the bolts, what size has been used. I also noticed in the Ford service manual the torque spec on the bolts is 20-30 ft/lbs, will that be enough to draw the bushing down to the proper height? I was thinking to start there, let the body settle and if need be torque more. And one last thing, my body is currently at the painters and the frame will not be ready before he is done, has anyone built a body trolley for storage purposes? I am going to be building one but if someone else has already I would appreciate any suggestions on designs. thanks - dave

the sleeve is what limits the crush of the bushings as far as a cart for the body... this is what i threw together for mine (doesn't really need to be 2' tall)

Thanks for all the info, it is definitely helpful. John, the cart looks like what I was thinking about, the body is pretty much ready and is in primer but want to store it in a car trailer until I finish the frame. Also just curious on this, I just got my body bushings and the bolts, which I understand are smaller than the original bolts, are splined towards the head of the bolt preventing them from coming out of the bushing. I will be tapping them out and enlarging the hole to fit the old bolts but just wondered if this is how they normally come. thanks again - dave

Afraid I'm back with another question. My original metal sleeves in the bushings measure 1 5/8", the new sleeves measure 1 7/8". If I cut the new ones down to 1 1/4" will they not be too short? Or do I cut the new ones down 1/4" to equal the height of the old one? I am getting ready to do the cutting, just want to make sure I am getting the right length. thanks - dave

the sleeve and washers also set the overall height of the body mount against the others, they either have to be the same as original .... or different by the same amount or you'll pull the body out of shape with the mounts

So the shorter than original altered tube compensates for the fatter than original bushing making the frame to body spacing the same as original? I believe I understand it I just want to make sure my original bushings are the same as others who have done this before I cut to 1 1/4 inch.

So the shorter than original altered tube compensates for the fatter than original bushing making the frame to body spacing the same as original? I believe I understand it I just want to make sure my original bushings are the same as others who have done this before I cut to 1 1/4 inch.

The altered tube will be the same length as the original tube. The bushing will crush to the proper thickness

Just for future reference for those doing this in the future, the original bushing tube length on my 73 GTS (manufacture date 3-23-73) was 1 1/2 ", total metal bushing height 1 5/8", so I am going to cut the new ones to these measurements, not 1 1/4". Not sure but possibly a minor design change from the earlier ones?

To Rockatansky, the last post was not a critique or question needing an answer but merely information to let others that read this topic in the future know that apparantly not all bushings are 1 1/4", and that they need to measure theirs to confirm what length to cut to. Before I posed my original post I don't remember reading that there was any information that other size bushings were involved, I just needed clarification on the 1 1/4" length before I started cutting. I tend to be a little anal about things that can cost me money due to my having made uneducated judgements on projects in the past, this one I definitely want to make as few mistakes as possible. I apologize if you feel I was being redundant but the last post was strictly to help future readers. - dave

no problem here, i just don't want to see later that your doors are pinched and roof buckled because i didn't speak up, for future readers too. the sleeves and the washers add up to an over-all measurement, just looking at the sleeves could lead to an issue if different thickness washers get into the blend

FWIW my understanding was that there are several different height mounts involved in different locations, i've seen the dimensions in the factory manual but then again i may be hallucinating or that was Ranchero specific and does not apply to Torino, IDK?

i'm not saying this is what happened here but sometimes guys only see what they want to see, are ready to fall out tired, or in the fog of not understanding they gloss over some critical tidbit, i just didn't want that to be the case ... no worries & all's well

Just thought I would throw this out there because I have not seen this mentioned in previous posts. I ordered the Crown Vic bushing kit which came with the body bushings and two radiator bushings. The radiator bushings have a similar set-up to the original Torino bushings, that being a washer with a depressed threaded center section that screws onto a larger diameter section of the bolt through the frame. This washered bushing also has an oval shaped protrusion on the bottom side. This protruded part fits snugly in the frame opening for the radiator support connection. The bushing measures 1-3/16" high excluding the protrusion. I installed it on my frame and it tightens down and self centers in the hole. The below frame bushing has a cut out on the top side that the washered bushings protrusion seats tightly into. The bottom side has an imbedded washer in it.

Also included is a 1" high top metal bushing. It appears this piece is supposed to go on top of the radiator support and it has a center cut out for the nut to screw down into.

This bushing would have to be shimmed like the original one was to get the correct height but it looks like it would be a pretty secure set-up. I had already ordered the poly universal bushing set but am seriously considering using the Crown Vic set. I'm looking for anyone who may have used these or just input, good or bad, on these being used.

That's a great idea. I tried some rubber bushing replacement and found the weight of the front clip really compressed the rubber which shifted the door gaps. It didn't take long for that to happen. The poly bushing doesn't shift as much. Rubber is preferable but it's difficult to determine the correct compressed height over time. Maybe some sort of cup on the ends of the rubber bushing to limit the squish?

I would like to see what you figured out...

Regarding the cut height, i have an early 73. I found the same height issue with the body bushings. I cut them to the 1 1/4 height and had no issues. I did this because of height of the front bushings and the alignment of the front clip to the doors. I'm using the poly bushings in the front. The front can still use more shims to set the gap properly. Just a fyi...there is enough slop in the body bushing height that it it doesn't matter if the height is off a bit so long as they are all cut to the same height.

I'm almost to the point of using aluminum bushing with a rubber washers to dampen vibration. I'm tired of fighting the shifting door gaps. I want to set the gaps and forget it. I consider the radiator support bushing arrangement a design flaw. Its been a headache.

I am going to do some research on these and see what the the torque spec tightness is and what the compressed height will be. I like the idea of tightening up the base bushing seperately and then spacing with the shims and metal bushings from the original set-up but the poly set-up appears to work well also. I will post the info when I get it.

Also for those having a problem getting the bottom bushings in through the bottom frame opening I used a coat hanger with a string attached and ran it through the bottom hole to the lower frame opening by the lower control arm, tied the bushing to the string and pulled it back through to the bushing mount location. I had to use the coat hanger a little to help the bushing past some bolt obstructions but came through easily.

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